The invention relates to a method and apparatus for getting a starter bar into the strand guide of a continuous casting plant, wherein the starter bar is introduced from above, foot part first, into the strand guide and lowered.
In continuous casting plants, substantial time losses can occur during the transition from one casting to the next one. These time losses above all are caused by the introduction of the starter bar for the following casting. In order to reduce these periods of standstill, various methods of introducing the starter bar have been developed, all aiming at introducing the starter bar, or a part thereof, into the strand guide from above at a time when the end portion of the strand of the previous casting is still being downwardly removed from the strand guide. Thus a method is known, in which the starter bar head is horizontally guided directly below the mould, introduced into the mould by jacks and held in that position by supports. When the hot strand has been removed, the starter bar body is introduced into the strand guide from below, advanced towards the mould and coupled with the starter bar head introduced from above. Before the next casting can start, the supports and jacks for the starter bar head have to be removed from the area of the cross section of the cast strand. Substantial operational means are required for carrying out this method, since the starter bar head which is separate from the starter bar body must be introduced into the strand guide by means of a separate transport means.
Furthermore, it is known to introduce the starter bar while connected to the starter bar head, via the continuous casting mould into the strand guide from above, foot part first. Thereby, on the one hand, it is possible to introduce the starter bar head together with the starter bar into the strand guide at a time when the end part of the strand of the previous casting is still being removed from the strand guide but, on the other hand, there is the danger that the mould may be damaged by the starter bar or the starter bar head. A further disadvantage consists in that the mould is not freely accessible for repair and maintenance work while the starter bar is being introduced. Also, it is not possible to exchange the mould while the starter bar is being introduced. It has, however, already been suggested to remove the mould from the axis of the strand, and to introduce the starter bar directly into the strand guide and lower it; but, this has the disadvantage that no adjustment and maintenance operations can be carried out on the mould while the starter bar is being introduced.